//------------------------------// // Chapter I // Story: Rising Up // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// I gave a hard flap of my wings and took off into the sky ahead of the angry earth pony crowd. Raindrops, Cloudkicker, Blossomforth and Silverspeed were flying next to me. “Hurry!” Cloudkicker urged us as she flew behind us. She demanded we fly ahead of her so she could keep us safe from behind. She was our team leader on the weather team and very protective of us. I gave a strained nod and flapped even harder. The screaming crowd kept following us. “Damn earth ponies,” I grunted. “Running us out of our own home.” “And unicorns,” Silverspeed chimed in angrily. We hated both the tribes, they spread rumors about us. Hell, my cloud house almost got destroyed by a mob. “I can’t believe they hate us,” Blossomforth sighed. I gave her a sympathetic smile. “One day we can return,” I promised and nuzzled my watermelon maned friend. “One day. We just gotta stand up and defend ourselves.” Me, Raindrops and Cloudkicker were wearing our Wonderbolt uniforms. Out of us five, we were the only Wonderbolts. Sassaflash, Cloudchaser, Thunderlane and Bulk Biceps had already relocated a few days before. Cloudchaser and Thunderlane brought their siblings Flitter and Rumble to Cloudsdale. That was our destination. The mayor of Cloudsdale had extended the offer to all pegasi that the city was a safe haven and to bring all pegasus family members, no matter how old or young. “Look!” I pointed a hoof down at a grey pegasus galloping through the town with a orange pegasus I recognized. The grey pegasus got hit with a rock and tumbled to the ground. “Derpy!” Blossomforth screamed. “Let’s get them!” Cloudkicker ordered and we all dived down to the ground. Cloudkicker landed in front of the fallen pegasus and Scootaloo protectively with her wings spread. Blossomforth started dragging the dazed Derpy and covered the cut with a hoof, Scootaloo helping to the best of her ability. I looked around and took into the sky. My eyes settled on a thundercloud nearby. “Raindrops!” I shouted. “Position the thundercloud over me please!” The pegasus had been doing low passes over the earth pony mob to keep them away from Derpy and Scootaloo. Her eyes lit up with realization and she complied. Most ponies don’t know the meaning of my cutie mark. Sure, I could survive a low voltage of lightning like every pegasus. But I could survive the highest voltage of wild lightning and could even direct it to where I wanted. “Now buck it! Hard!” I shouted as I thrust a hoof into the sky. She nodded and kicked the cloud hard. A bolt of lightning came shooting down into my hoof. I felt my body tingle as the electricity shot through my body and I thrust my right hoof right near the crowd of the earth ponies. I gave a cruel grin as I watched it fly towards the ground. At least Berry Punch wasn’t here. I’d hate to hurt my friend. If we were one. A pony screamed as the ground exploded and turned black as the grass lit on fire. I high hoofed Raindrops who had the same cruel grin I did. “Back off! I can send more where that came from!” I threatened. The earth ponies ran away in fear and we landed on the ground. “Are they okay?” Raindrops asked. I stared in concern as Cloudkicker closed her wings. I quickly stepped forward and examined her cuts from some thrown objects. “You should get these injuries looked at,” I told her sternly. “Can you fly?” “Let’s worry about that later. Is Derpy okay?” Blossomforth looked up. “Yeah. It’s a deep cut, but after we get her looked at she will be fine. Scootaloo is fine too, she’s just shaken up,” Blossomforth explained. That made sense, she just dealt with an angry mob out for blood. “Can you walk or fly?” I asked Derpy and nuzzled her. We were really good friends. I had honestly thought she had already left. “I can try,” Derpy stumbled forward and me and Raindrops caught her. “She could have a concussion,” Blossomforth warned us. “She should get carried, to be safe.” Rage filled me at that. Anypony who could hurt Derpy deserved to get shoved off a cloud. “I’ll carry her,” I announced as I stepped forward and folded my legs in. “Put her on my back.” Blossomforth nodded and Derpy slid onto my back. Blossomforth reached into her saddlebags and pulled out some and made a makeshift saddle like thing to keep Derpy on me safely. I gave a low groan as I stood up and gave my wings a flap. I could fly but I’d be slow. “Need a lift?” Raindrops asked Scootaloo with a smirk. We all knew how fond Rainbow Dash was of the filly. I was kinda scared of her to be honest, she can be intense. Was a good pony though if I had to be honest. “I mean sure. I could use a flight out of here,” Scootaloo shrugged. She was trying to hide her fear but I could see through it. I’ll give her credit, she tried her hardest. “White Lightning can’t carry you, nor can Cloudkicker because she’s hurt. I can and Silverspeed can,” Raindrops gestured to the silver pegasus who was watching around us with an eye of a hawk. I moved some of my blue mane out of my eyes. “I’ll take her,” Silverspeed announced as she kept watching around us for any sign of trouble. Raindrops shrugged and lifted the filly. She placed her on Silverspeeds back and if she noticed the weight, she didn’t show it. She just kept watching until we started flying. I was the slowest as I thought I would be with the added weight. Not that I minded though as long as Derpy was safe. “I’m sorry about this,” Derpy mumbled. “You have nothing to apologize for. Why weren’t you flying? Why were you running?” I demanded as Cloudsdale got closer. “Scootaloo can’t fly. Never has been able to and I couldn’t just leave her.” I frowned slightly at that. “You could have found us. We would have helped in a heartbeat,” I told her. “I know,” she sighed and we fell into silence as we all landed on the edge of Cloudsdale. “Whitey?” Derpy suddenly mumbled. “Yeah?” I asked as I trotted to the hospital. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome, Derpy.”